A long gun is a firearm with an extended barrel, usually designed to be fired braced against the shoulder. Barrels of such weapons commonly extend to around 50 cm or longer, giving considerable accuracy and range. Most modern long guns fall into one of two categories, rifles or shotguns, distinguished by their design and type of projectile they fire.
Shotguns are designed primarily to fire small pellets, called shots. Some shotguns can be adapted to fire a single projectile, called a slug.
There are several major components of shotguns: the barrels, stocks, and forends or forearms. Shotguns are distinguished by the length of their barrels, and by their barrel diameters, or bores. The barrels, stocks, and forends vary according to the gun's design and intended use.
By far the most common gauges for barrels are 12 (0.73 in, 18.5 mm diameter) and 20 (0.614 in, 15.6 mm), although 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 24, 28, 32 gauges and the .410 calibre (10 mm) have also been produced.
Chokes on the barrels can control the exiting spread, or pattern of shot. Therefore, shotgun gauges and choke patterns are selected based on the type of shooting to be done.
The proper fit for a user of a shotgun depends largely on the length and shape of the gun's stock. The selection of the proper stock and forend will have a bearing on the user's comfort, accuracy, and control when shooting.
The gauge of a barrel and the type of game are factors in determining what ammunition is to be used. Pump shotguns intended for private defensive use have barrels as short as 18 inches. “Small game” barrels, for hunting game like rabbits and squirrels with buckshot, are often 22 to 24 inches in length. Larger barrels, about 28-29 inches, are used to hunt quails, pheasants, and doves in semi-open wooded or farmland, where dense brush is less of a hindrance and the ability to have more reach is important. Still other barrels, designed for single shot, are used for hunting larger game.
The advent of interchangeable barrels made the shotgun a more versatile firearm, especially in the field. Hunters often swap out barrels for different game.
Shotguns also are used for sports such as skeet, trap, and sporting clays. These involve shooting clay disks, known as clay pigeons, thrown in various ways. Shorter stocks are used for greater maneuverability.
Often, shooters will want to change the forend and/or stock to create the proper fit. This happens, sometimes, when there are two shooters (e.g., a husband and wife) sharing the same shotgun. One of the shooters will, more than likely, have an improper fit with the shotgun.
Another instance is with hunters. Often, the hunter will want to switch out the forend and stock to create the proper fit for different game or sporting activity.
Changing the stock or forend, or both, is a time-consuming process. The user has to disassemble portions of the shotgun by using tools when in the field.
The average woman typically uses a shorter stock than the average man. Forearms have an ergonomic design for comfort, fit and control. Shotgun stocks and forends come in a variety of designs and materials. Selections of the stock and forend will depend upon what the shooter is comfortable with and the use.
Forends currently are either slid onto the magazine tube or over both the magazine tube and barrel. Some shotgun designs have a screw or another form of locking mechanism for the forend. In such instances, the shooter typically has to use a tool to swap out forends. For example, the shooter has to remove Philips head screws with a screwdriver. Once the forends are swapped, the screwdriver is reused to put the screws back. Sometimes, a shooter loses a screw and has to search for it.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus which permit the quick and easy change of shotgun forends without the use of tools in the field.
It is another general object to provide an improved connect/disconnect system which permits the quick and easy change of forends, for any long gun, without the use of tools in the field.
It is another specific object to provide an easy connect/disconnect system for long-gun forends that permits a shooter to attach a different forend without the use of tools.